Must-know Facts before Planning an Everest Base Camp Trip in Tibet

Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain, and traveling to Everest Base Camp in Tibet to get close and unobstructed view of this majestic mountain is a dream pursued by tourists all over the world. Here are some facts helpful and easily applicable for your once-in-a-life Everest Base Camp tour.

EBC in Tibet is accessible in winter and all year around

When most people think about Everest Base Camp in winter, they conjure up extremely cold environment and heavy snow blocking the way. Although EBC has a harsh winter, it can be visited in winter and throughout the year.

Everest Base Camp in Tibet is accessible all year around.

Lying in Tingri County of Shigatse Prefecture, the base camp for the world’s highest mountain lies around 360km from Gyirong Port and 600 kilometers from Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). For those detouring Yamdrok Lake and Gyantse instead of heading for Shigatse from Lhasa directly, you will travel about 700 kilometers in total to get to EBC.

The road to Everest Base Camp is well-paved asphalt road no matter which route you choose. You will turn off the Friendship Highway to head south on the Zhufeng Road. After around 100km, you will reach the base camp, around three hours after leaving Shigatse.

Highlights of traveling EBC in Tibet

Every tourist will cross Gawula Pass at 5,198 meters before reaching Everest Base Camp. Presenting absolutely incredible view of the Himalayas, it is often rated by travelers as the best view of the Himalayas in Tibet. Standing at the viewing platform of Gawula Pass, you can enjoy an outstanding panorama view of the highest mountains in the world along this stretch of the Himalayas, including Mount Cho Oyu, Mount Lhotse, Mount Makalu, and Mount Everest all of which stand at elevations above 8,000 meters.

You can appreciate the world's top 4 highest peaks at Gawula Pass on the way to EBC.

Upon your arrival at Everest Base Camp which is about 20km away from the peak of Mt. Everest in linear distance, you can enjoy a close and unobstructed view of the peak of Mount Everest standing tall above the Roof of the World.

Without the light and air pollution, you can fully appreciate the Milky Way obove Mount Everest.

A great bonus to visit Everest Base Camp in Tibet is you can stay overnight there in the shadow of Mount Everest. While you can stay overnight in the nearby Rongbuk Monastery or tent guesthouse set up right inside the base camp for tourists. By staying overnight at EBC, you can see stars once it gets dark. With little to no light pollution, you get an amazing view of the billions of stars in the night sky, including the view of the Milky Way, our own galaxy. And the sunrise is spectacular, with the rays of the rising sun shining on the eastern slopes of the mountain, turning them a burnished orange color. However, tent guesthouses are not available in the low season, from November to March. If you are traveling to EBC in the winter months, then you will need to stay at the Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse, opposite the monastery itself.

Standing at 5,000 meters above sea level, Rongbuk Monastery is the highest monastery in the world.

What’s more, you can visit Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world. Built in 1902, the monastery of Nyingma Sect has an attraction of its own, and for those that wish to, you can spend some time praying at the altars in the monastery. Your guide can show you around, and you can leave offerings and pray while you are there.

Altitude Sickness at EBC

Altitude sickness is a common occurrence in Tibet, especially for those from low altitudes close to sea level. However, when traveling EBC from Lhasa (3,650m), you will normally have spent a couple of days acclimatizing to the altitude of the capital first, so the chances of feeling the effects at EBC are greatly reduced. The trip to EBC also ascends across the plateau gradually, with the overnight stay at Gyantse and Shigatse (3,900m), so you can better acclimate to the high altitude at EBC (5,200m).

We can offer oxygen cyclinders for tourists visiting EBC and staying overnight there.

For those that do feel some effects, your guide has oxygen bottles in the tour vehicle to help alleviate the symptoms, and we have a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber at the site to aid those with more serious altitude sickness.

Days needed for an EBC trip

A classic 8-day Lhasa to EBC tour includes the time to get back to Lhasa afterwards and the arrival and departure days. This is normally enough to make the most of the trip to the plateau, and enjoy the major attractions of the region.

You can also visit Everest Base Camp during the 7-day Lhasa to Kathmandu tour. After the overnight stay at EBC, you will head for Kathmandu via Gyirong Port instead of returning to Lhasa. If you choose to visit Tibet from Nepal, you can only spend a few hours at EBC instead of staying overnight there during an 8-day Kathmandu to Lhasa group tour.

Attractions you can add to EBC tour

If you are planning a trip to EBC, then there are additional attractions in the vicinity of the mountain that can add to your whole Tibetan experience. Sakya Monastery, which lies about 150km from Shigatse along the way to Tingri, is one of the premier monasteries of Tibet. By adding Sakya Monastery into EBC tour, you can get better altitude acclimate before heading for Mount Everest.

If time permits, you can go to practice Mount Kailash trekkiing after visiting Everest Base Camp.

You could take a trip to the north to visit the sacred Mount Kailash, the most sacred mountain in the world after visiting Mount Everest. Here, you can take on the epic three-day Kailash trekking around the mountain’s kora route, hiking alongside Tibetan pilgrims. A little further to the north in Ngari prefecture, you also explore the remains and ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom, which came about as an offshoot of the fallen Tibetan Empire. The kingdom flourished for more than 600 years, but fell to dust in the wars with the Ladakhi kings.

Travel Documents for EBC tour

If you are planning a trip to EBC, then there are certain documents that you are required to have in order to get there.

Tibet Travel Permit (TTP) – This is required for entry to Tibet and to travel around in the area of Lhasa. As international tourists are not permitted to travel Tibet dependently, this permit can only be applied by the tour operator on the behalf of you.

We provide free and 100% guarantee Tibet Travel Permit service for our clients.

Alien’s Travel Permit (ATP) – Required for travel to the “unopened” areas of Tibet outside Lhasa, including Shigatse. The permit is applied for using your original passport and TTP once you are in Tibet.

Everest National Park Pass – Obtained prior to arriving at EBC, the pass is checked before you can enter the Chomolungma National Nature Reserve area around Mount Everest.

Needless to say, you still need China Visa to explore Tibet. If you visit EBC from Lhasa, you need China Enter Visa which should be applied at the embassy or consulate in your home country. If you choose to enter Tibet from Nepal, you need a single-entry China Group Visa which can only be applied in Kathmandu by the tour operator on the behalf of you. However, no matter which route you choose, just tell your plan to tour travel expert and we will arrange all the permits well for you.

Useful Tips for EBC tours

Bring your own medicine because no medical service there

There is no pharmacy at EBC, so you will not be able to even get medicine for cold of altitude sickness there. Due to the language barrier, it is better to consult your doctor to prepare the medicine before setting off for Tibet.

Sunscreen and warm cloth for the temperature difference in the morning and evening

The thinner atmosphere means that the sun is stronger at higher altitudes, and can still cause sunburn, even in winter. Bring some sun block to counter this while you are on the plateau. And it pays to bring warm sweaters or a jacket, even in the summer, as the evenings can get a little chilly.

Bring your own snacks for EBC tour because food there are a little more expensive

Food at the base camp can be a little expensive, compared to the food in Lhasa. It can help to bring some snacks and packet or pot foods with you, to eat while you are there, as this can cut down on the overall cost of the tour slightly.

It takes RMB 1 to use the toilet at EBC, prepare the change in advance

Public toilets in Tibet are rarely free, especially in the areas of tourist attractions. At EBC, the public toilets cost 1 yuan each time, and it is a good idea to bring enough 1 yuan coins to cover your visit to Tibet.

Bring sleeping bag or your own sheet

While the hygiene in Tibet is generally good, in the more remote areas like EBC, it is unlikely that your bedding will be washed daily. Having your own sheet, or a sleeping bag for preference, can make your overnight stay there more comfortable.

Conclusion

Everest Base Camp tours are the most popular tours in Tibet, and a trip out to EBC is the pinnacle of Tibetan attractions. While the peak season runs through summer, you can also visit at any other time of the year, though you need to visit from April to October for the tent guesthouses. Any trip to Tibet is not really complete without a visit to this iconic base camp at the foot of the World’s Highest Mountain.